The Columbus Blue Jackets, parent club of the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, have signed goaltender David LeNeveu to a one-year, two-way contract, general manager Scott Howson announced today.
LeNeveu appeared in 67 games for Salzburg of the Austrian League in 2009-10, posting a 2.58 goals-against average, .906 save percentage and two shutouts. He was 6-2 with a 2.17 GAA in nine playoff games to lead Salzburg to the Austrian Championship.
A native of Fernie, B.C., LeNeveu was drafted in the second round (46th overall) by Phoenix in 2002. He went 5-9-2 with a 3.38 GAA and .888 SV% in 21 games with the Coyotes from 2005-07. He also owns an 87-116-21 record with a 2.82 GAA, .909 save percentage and seven shutouts in 231 career AHL games with Springfield, Utah, San Antonio, Hartford and Iowa.
LeNeveu played two seasons at Cornell University from 2001-03 and went 39-5-2 with a 1.29 GAA and seven shutouts in 46 games. In 2002-03, he was 28-3-1 with a 1.20 GAA and nine shutouts in 32 games as Cornell reached the Frozen Four. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, was named the ECAC Co-Player of the Year, ECAC Goaltender of the Year, NCAA East First All-American Team, ECAC First All-Star Team and was the ECAC Tournament MVP that season.
He owns the NCAA Division I record for career GAA (1.29) and helped Canada to a silver medal at the 2003 World Junior Championships
